Henretter
An Old French name referring to an executioner or hangman.
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Henretter. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Henretter today is around 94 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Henretter births was 1919 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Henretter. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Henretter is about 94 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Henretters were born before 1942.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Henretter. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1919
10 babies that year
Average age
94
years old
1926 SSA rank
#5,191
Tracked since 1895
Popularity
Henretter: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Henretter from the 1890s through to the 1920s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 30 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Henretter by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Henretter during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Henretter
The given name Henretter is believed to have originated from the Old German language, with its roots dating back to the medieval period around the 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the words "henretten" or "henreiter," which loosely translate to "executioner" or "hangman."
During the Middle Ages, the role of the executioner was often a hereditary profession passed down through families. As such, the name Henretter may have been adopted as a surname or occupational designation before eventually becoming a given name in its own right.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Henretter can be found in the chronicles of the city of Nuremberg, Germany, from the late 15th century. These chronicles mention a man named Hans Henretter, who served as the official executioner for the city during that time.
In the realm of literature, the name Henretter appears in the works of the German poet and playwright Friedrich Schiller. His play "Kabale und Liebe" (Intrigue and Love), written in 1784, features a character named Henretter, who is a servant in the household of a noble family.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the name Henretter. One such person was Johann Henretter (1556-1618), a German artist and engraver who was active in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His works, primarily etchings and engravings, are preserved in various art collections across Europe.
Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Henretter (1825-1892), a German-born American architect and engineer. He was responsible for designing several prominent buildings in the city of St. Louis, Missouri, including the Old Courthouse and the St. Louis City Hall.
In the realm of music, there was also a German composer named Karl Henretter (1867-1941), who was known for his works in the Romantic and late Romantic styles. His compositions included symphonies, concertos, and chamber music.
Furthermore, in the field of literature, there was a Swiss novelist and playwright named Heinz Henretter (1905-1975), who wrote several novels and plays that explored themes of social injustice and the human condition.
Lastly, in more recent times, there was a German-born American artist named Hans Henretter (1926-2009), who was known for his abstract expressionist paintings and sculptures. He lived and worked in New York City, and his works were exhibited in numerous galleries and museums throughout the United States.
People
Henretter + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Henretter as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Henretter: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Henretter?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Henretter going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Henretter a common name?
We classify Henretter as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 79 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Henretter most popular?
The single biggest year for Henretter was 1919, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Henretter is about 94 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Henretter in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Henretter a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Henretter in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Henretter still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Henretter in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Henretter can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Henretter as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Henretter on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.